Favorite AA battery LED headlamp

waumpuscat

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I am shopping, and need the forum's opinions. What would be your choice? I need a good compromise on runtime vs. brightness, but lean towards more light because with AAs carrying more batteries is not a problem.

Phil
 

Darkaway

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I was leaning toward the Yukon HL until I read this thread. I was turned off by the fact that the 3 LED's use about as much juice as the Luxeon.

I opted for the PT Matrix II. Lighter, simpler and cheaper.
 

pedalinbob

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Dec 7, 2002
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Quickbeam, have you tried your everled in a matrix headlamp?

i have a nice PT solo (which looks like the matrix), and would love to try the everled in it. the incan is not very nice, even with a modded bulb.

Bob
 

waumpuscat

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Does the PT2 put out more light than the Aurora. I am currently using the Aurora and that is what has motivated this post. I love the Aurora and always have it with me when I travel, but I need a little more light.

Phil
 

PeLu

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Did I mention it? My favorite is the Luxbrite 229. Just 2 AA cells, waterproof, simple, very relyable, affordable. At least there are about 30 - 40 of them around here.
 

Lux Luthor

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I've never heard of Luxbrite 229. All I could get on Google was a spanish caving site with no pics. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Does it use a Luxeon? I think I could gather from the spanish site that it's not dimmable and doesn't have a microprocessor. Is that correct? I'm still interested though.
 

PeLu

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No, it does not use a Luxeon now, although I have seen a Luxeon prototype version more than two years ago.

I've just seen that their website is down. But here is some:
http://www.upaway.at/upaway/luxbrite.htm
(you never will guess who brought them to the idea carrying it!)
and
http://www.audax.uk.net/lights/brite0108.htm
at the bottom


The 229 has 9 Nichia 5mm LEDs and a boost converter. It works, as said on 2 AA cells, about 8 hours full power on alkalines, and a few hours more on decreasing brightness. It uses a Gelert housing which is just a copy from a PrinceTon Tec Matrix (or maybe it is the opposite case) but has a real switch opposed to the battery opening.
As these Gelert lamps are available for next to nothing, they make very good sources for spare parts (there was a series were the battery cap was too brittle and broke at a direct hit (quite common in a cave). They are sold for about 50-70 GBP.
There is also a 225 which just has 5 LEDs and therefore longer runtime at lower brightness.
using a Petzl spare part you can easily convert them to the standard caplamp holder.
They are small, lightweighted and affordable enough to carry two or more of them.

And I just found the Spanish site you are referring to:
Funny enough, it is the Spanish translation from something I wrote about problems with cave radios and switching power supplies in caving lamps.
 
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